Knitting machine



Sigpt. 2, 1930. SAMPEY 1,775,032

KNITTING mcium:

Filed Aug. 19, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG: I.

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Sept. 2, 1930. H. D. SAMPEY KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: Jiizrzzayll Sat/7529651, BY M ATTORNEYS.

Sepi. 2, 1930. H. D. SAMPEY 1,775fi32 KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES I N V EN TOR.-

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Sept. 2, 193. SAMPEY 1,775,032

KNITTING ncnm: I

Filed Aug. 19. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES [N VEN TOR:

W .91 90 li aroeg flsaiiyzfl BY Q Sept. 2, 1930. SAMPEY 1,775,032

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FfC-EAZ' W1 TNESSES I N V EN TOR:

' Jfirvey Ilsa/7 06 Maui; wig? Pqtented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATE$ PATENT OFFICE HARVEY D. SAMPEY, OF TELFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DEXDALE HO SIERY MILLS, OF LANSDALE, IENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA KNITTING MACHINE Application filed August 19, 1927. Serial No. 214,002.

to oscillation of the needle cylinder, while the remaining needles (long butt needles) are temporarily maintained idle or inactive.

e main object of my invent-ion is to enable, with machines of the kind referred to having but a single set of knitting cams, production of a pa r of complemental narrowed tabs in continuation of the stocking foot adapted to be subsequently united by sewing togetherot their edges to form a tapered toe in lieu of the pocket produced in the ordinary way. .This end I attain through a very sim le, automatically-operating auxiliary clutc means, whereby, after one of thetabs is knit by fashioning with the short butt needles by oscillatory knitting, the needle cylinder is temporarily detached from the driving mechanism of the machine and subsequently re-coupled therewith after a relative movement of 180, so that the long butt needles can be acted upon by the knitting cams during further oscillatory knitting to produce the complemental tab.

nother object of my invention is to secure the above advantages with means having the form of an attachment capable of being easily applied to standard knitting machines without involving any serious changes either in their construction or normal mode of operation.

In the drawings Fig. I is a side elevation of a circular knitting machine conveniently embodying my improvements.

- Fig. II is a plan view of the same with the needle cylinder removed and-with certain portions thereof in section in accordance with the arrows"II-II in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a linear development oi the knitting cams by which the needles are actuated.

Fig. IV is a plan section taken localiy as indicated by the arrows IVIV in Fig.

Fig..V is a fragmentar plan section in the same plane as the imme iately preceding illustration but with certain parts differently positioned.

Figs. VI and VII are detail cross sections taken locally as respectively indicated by the arrows VI-VI and VII-VII in Fig. IV.

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary perspective View of the needle cylinder and its driving gear wheel.

Fig. IX is a plan section designated by the arrows IXIX in Fig. I.

Fig. X is a perspective view of the clutch latch by which the needle cylinder is coupled with its driving gear wheel.

Figs. XI and XII are sections taken locally as indicated respectively by the arrows XIXI and XII-XII in Fig. II, and,

Fig. XIII is a perspective view ofa stocking toe capable o chine improved in accordance with my invennon.

The knitting machine chosen for the purposes of illustration herein is of a standard type exemplified in U. S. Patent Nos. 1,266,- 044 of May 14, 1918, and 1,330,818 of February 17 1920, both granted to A. M. Pigeon and extensively used in manufacturing seamless hosiery. Ihe needle cylinder 15 of the machine is co-axially mounted on a driving gear wheel 16 (Figs. I, IV, VI and VII) that is recessed in a supporting annulus 17 and retained therein by overlapping washers 17 This annulus 17 is sustained at the top of a rod 18 having guidance in bearings 19 of the machine frame 20 with capacity for vertical shitting under governance of a rotary cam disc 21 in order to change the level of the needle cylinder 15"with respect to the positionally-fixed knittin cams and thereby vary the size of the fa ric loops, as in fashioning the leg of the stocking. These knitting cams are supported on the overhanging portion of the top plate 22 of the machine frame 20 and grouped about the needle cylinder as shown in igs. I and II. The disc 21 is secured to one end of the shaft 23 in the lower partof the machine frame, which supbeing produced by theme E shown) on the main driving shaft 26, the latter being equipped, as is generally customary, with high and intermediate speed pulleys 27-28 as well as with a loose pulley 29, see

Fig. ll. During either phase of operation, the motion received by the main shaft 26 is transmitted, through a pair of companion bevel gears 30-31, to a spur gear 32 that moves with the latter of said bevels, said spur gear 32 in turn imparting motion to the gear wheel 16atthedoottom of the needle cylinder. Intermittent rotary progression of the shaft 23 and the parts carried thereby is governed by-a measuring chain 33, all as described in the first of the two Pigeon patents hereinbefore referred to. As is usual with seamless hosiery knitting machines, the cylinder 15 is equipped with two groups of needles, 35-36, which in the present instance,- are equal as tonumber and respectively characterized by long and short butts, the same being distinguished by heavy and light lines in Fig. Ill. The means for actuating the needles include a pair of stitch cams 3738 and associate auxiliary cams 37 38*, the latter c'ams being yieldingly pressed inwards by springs (not shown) and beveled along their vertical edges as indicated by the line shading in Fig. III, a bottom center cam 39,

and side cams 4041, as well as a cam 42 for elevating the long butt needles 36 to the idle level, preparatory to oscillatory knitting with the short butt needles 36 in forming the heel pockets, and a depressing cam 43 whereby said long butt needles are subsequently re-v turned to the active level. The cam 42 is shaped as shown for the purpose described in the ,Pigeon Patent #1,330,818 hereinbefore referred to, whereinit is designated by the reference 35 but in the instant case it need only be regarded as a means to raisethe long butt needles 35 to inactive level for the purpose of heel and toe fashioning. The needle actuating means further include raising pickers 4445,' and drop pickers 46-47 (Fig. II) to cooperate with said raising pickers alternatel during widening incidental to heel knitting. The elevating and depressing cams 4243 are respectively secured to arms 48-49 which are pivoted intermediate their ends, with capacity for inde endent swinging movement, on a common ulcrum stud 50 and subject individually to leaf springs 51. During rotary knitting, the elevating and depressing cams 42-43 occupy the positions shown in the drawing; but concurrent with shifting of the main clutch of the machine names (not shown) in changing to the oscillator phase of operation, their position 1s reverse i. e. the elevating cam 42 is permitted to move inward under urgence ofits spring51 while bracket 53 also has a finger 59 that normally maintains the elevating picker 44 out of the way of the needle butts during round and round knitting. A

In converting a machine such as briefly outlined above to the purposes of my invention, I make provisions as follows:

Instead of being rigidly secured to its driving gear wheel 16, the needle cylinder 15 is accorded capacity for independent relative rotary motion under certain conditions hereinafter fully explained. To this end, the upper face of the gear wheel 16 is concentrically recessed as'at 60. in Fig. VI to provide a seat for the circumferential flange 61 of a ring 62 that forms a depending axial prolongation of the needle cylinder15 whereto it is rigidly secured by means of screws 63, rctainment of the flange 61 within'its seat being insured by an overlapping annular plate 64 secured to said gear. Pivoted at 65 to the gear wheel 16 for horizontal swinging movement within a cut-out 64 of the plate 64, is a clutch latch 66 having the formof a flat arm with a depending lug 67 at its free end adapted to normally occupy one or the other of a pair of diametral notches 6868 in the flange 61 of the ring 62, and thus lock the latter (together withthe needle cylinder 15) for rotation with the gear wheel 16. y The clutchlatch 66 is yieldingly maintained in the locked position by a leaf spring 69 having anchorage on the annular plate 64 and engaging an upstanding projection or stud 70 of said latch. The means for actuating the clutch latch 66 includes a crescent shaped cam 71 at the end of a curved arm 72 which is fulcrumed at 73 to the lower face of the top plate 22 of the machine frame for movement inwardly from the normal inactive position ofFig. IV to the position of Fig. V with said cam lying against the side of the needle cylinder 15 in readiness to engage the stud 70, thus to withdraw the clutch latch 66 temporarily as later on more fully ex lained. A push bar 74 pivotally coupled at 5 with the arm 72, extends rearwardly along one side of the machine (see Figs. I and II) and has its opposite end resting, with ability to slide longitudinally in opposition to a helical tension spring 76, within a notch in the laterally turned extremity 77, of a centrally pivoted lever 78. This lever 78 has fulcrum bearing on a screw 79, let into the side of the machine frame 20, and-is subject to a spring 78*. When in the normal raised position shown in Fig. I, the rear end of the bar 74, lies above the plane of a tappet 80, which is pivoted at 81, for vibration in a horizontal plane, to a lug 82 secured to the side of the machine frame 20. Such movement is constantly imparted to the tappet 80, by virtue of its connection with a reciprocating rod 83, that is supported transversely of the machine frame 20, in suitable bearings of the latter for engagement by a cam 84 on the face of the gear 25, which shifts it in one direction, while a compression spring 85, is relied upon to shift it in the other direction. Any suitable means may be employed to control clutching of the needle cylinder 15, through the coordinated parts just described. For the purpose of exemplification herein, the lever 78, is shown as coupled at 86 with a finger 87, fulcrumed to rock about a fixed axis 88, said finger lying in the path of special cam links 89-89 on the. measuring chain 33. Thus, upon actuation of the finger 87, the lever 78, will be swung downward to bring the end of the push bar 74 intothe plane of the oscillating tappet 80, the motion thereby communicated to the latter resulting in inward movement of the cam arm 72, and withdrawal of the clutch latch 66.

In order to check the momentum of the needle cylinder 15 upon withdrawal of the clutch latch 66, I provide a spring brake band 90, (Figs. IV and IX) adapted to clampingly embrace the depending portion of the ring 62 at the bottom of said needle cylinder. The brake band 90 is aligned with a friction strip 91, of leather or asbestos, and has one end secured to a fixed anchorage 92', while its other end is connected at 93 to one extremity of a lever 94 fulcrumed centrally on a stud 95. The opposite extremity of the lever 94 is pivotally coupled at 96, with the slide bar 74, so as to be actuated concurrently with'the clutch withdrawing cam arm 72.

For the purpose of bringing down the long butt needles 35 to the active level to enable fashioning with them, the machine is equipped with a lowering cam 97 (see Figs. II, III. and XI), the same being secured to the inner end of a spring influenced rod 98 that is slidable endwise in a bearing bracket 09, but held from rotation by means of a pin 100 projecting through a guide slot 101 in said bearing bracket; while an overhanging guard 97 secured to the bearing bracket 09 serves to direct beneath the cam 97 any long butt needles 35 that may be lifted 97 is controlled by a vertical slide 102 having a bevel 103 which is adapted to cooperate with a collar 104 on the protruding end of the rod 98. This slide 102 is connected, by means of a link 105, to a finger 106 fulwcrumed at 107 on the machine frame with its end lying-in the path of a laterally projecting lug 108 on the main clutch control drum 23*, see Fig. I. When engaged, the finger 106 causes downward movement of the slide 102 in opposition to a spring 109, thereby bringing the bevel 103 below the collar 104 and allowing the lowering cam 97 to seek the inner position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. XI under the action of its spring.

As hereinbefore stated during oscillatory knitting with only the short butt needles 36 in operation, the elevating cam 42 is maintained in active position. Now it will be remembered that the cam 42 serves to elevate the long butt needles 35, and must therefore be withdrawn from action when fashioning is practiced. with said needles. For this purpose a bolt 110 is provided, see Figs. I, II and XII, the same being slidable vertically in the topplate 22 of the machine frame and having its upper end chamfered so as to be capable, when lifted, of moving the arm 48 and thereby effecting withdrawal of the elevating cam 42; The bolt 110 is held raised by engagement of the arm 48, within an angular recess 111, in its side, and thus serves to temporarily lock the cam 42 in inactive position. The function of elevating the bolt 110, is in the present instance relegated to the lever 78, previously mentioned, see Fig. I. 1' The operation of the machine is as folows:

Let it be assumed that the cylinder 15 contains two hundred and sixty needles in all, that the heel pocket of a stocking has been knitted in the usual way, andthat the machine is just completing the last few rounds of the foot portion F in Fig. XIII immediately previous to change into the oscillating phase of operation for fashioning of the toe. With initiation of the latter operative phase as predetermined in the customary manner by the drum 23, the main clutch rod 52 in being incidentally shifted, moves the bracket 53 inward with the result that the depressing cam 43 is withdrawn and the elevating cam 42 at the same time rendered active to raise the long butt needles 35 (constituting one half of the full complement) to the idle level. With ensuing oscillation of the needle cylinder 15, the short butt needles 36 are raisedone at a time-by the pickers 44-45 until but a few (say about thirty needles) remain in action. As a consequence of the precedure just described, a tapered tab such as shown at T in Fig. XIII is produced as a prolongation of one side of the tubular foot portion F of the stocking. When this is accomplished, the finger 106 is automatically tripped by the projection 108 on the drum 23 (Fig. I), and the special lowering cam 97 (Figs. II and XI) shifted inward by movement transmitted through the interposed parts previously described, to intercept the long butt needles 35 and bring them all down to the active level. This period in the cycle is graphically depicted in Fig. III from which it will be observed that the current movement of the needle cylinder 15 is to the left and that the long butt needles 35 have just started down the incline ofthe special cam 97. Contemporaneous with these events, the special lug 89 on the measuring chain 33 engages the finger 87 whereupon the lever 78 is swung to lower the rear end of the push bar 74 into the plane of the tappet 80 for actuation thereby. The forward shog thus communicated to the push bar 74 results in inward movement of the arm 72 to project its cam 71 into the path of the stud on the clutch latch'66 thereby to withdraw the latter momentarily in order to temporarily free the needle cylinder 15. By virtue of its operative co-ordination with the parts just referred to, the brake band 90 is contracted at the same time to arrest the momentum of the needle cylinder 15 which therefore remains quiescent until the latch 66 automatically engages the slot 68 diametrically opposite the one 68 originally occupied. The needle cylinder 15 thus looses a half rotation to the end thatthe long butt needles 35 may now be utilized for fashioning purposes. Concurrent with movement of the lever 7 8 in effecting clutch actuation, it will be observed from Fig. I that the bolt 110 is lifted to withdraw the elevating ca1n42- and so hold it temporarily (the cam 43 being already retracted and idle) while narrowing proceeds in precisely the same manner as before, but now with the long butt needles 35in action to produce the complemental tab T of Fig. XIII, the few short butt needles in the group 36 (Fig. III) previously left at the active level simply moving back andv forth with the cylinder 15 at this time without being actuated by the stitch cams 3738 to draw fabric loops since the oscillatory throwimparted to said cylinder by the drive mechanism of the machine is substantially less than a complete revolution. In this connection it is to be remarked that during movement toward the left in Fig. III, needles passing immediately over the top of stitch cam 38 in encountering the beveled vertical edge of the auxiliary cam 38 cause the latter cam to be pressed outward. The needles thus pass across the front of this cam 38 without being affected by it;

but in moving further on are lowered by the auxiliary cam 37 into the province of the stitch cam 37. Similarly, as the needles move in the opposite direction or to the right rwaeea in Fig. III, the auxiliary cam 37 is rendered inoperative while, the auxiliary cam 38 functions to guide the needles to the stitch cam 38. Such action is however characteristic of the standard Pigeon knitting machine hereinbefore referred to, and is therefore not, per se, a feature of the present invention. At the. end of the second fashioning operation, the finger 87 is tripped againthis time by the lug 89 of the measuring chain 33, and thereby effects another semi-rotative transposal of the needle cylinder 15 to restore it to the normal operative relation with respect to the knitting cams, whereupon the machine automatically enters into the rotative phase in the usual manner to start a new stocking. As the bracket '53 (Figs. I and II) is moved inwardly during the last described period in the cycle, the linger 55 in re-engaging the stud 57, imparts slight movement to the arm 48 so that the bolt 110 is released to drop by gravity to the normal lower position of Fig. I thereby permitting the cam 43 to resume its active position (shown in Fig. I) in contact with the needle cylinder to bring all the needlesboth long and short butt left at the idle level down into the province of the knitting cams.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim:

1. A knitting machine including a cylinder with needles and a co-axial rotating driving support therefor; in combination with a clutch latch to normally lock the needle cylinder and its support for rotation together, a cam projectable into the path of the latch to withdraw it temporarily in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its support. a thrust bar operativelycoordinated with the cam, a constantly vibrating tappet, and automatic control means to move the thrust bar into the province of the tappet for projection of the cam to withdraiw the clutch latch for the purposes aforesa1 2. A knitting machine including a cylinder with needles, a co-axial rotating support therefor, and a measuring chain; in combination with a clutch latch to normally lock the needle cylinder and the support for retation together, brake means associated with the needle cylinder, and means controlled by the measuring chain aforesaid to withdraw the clutch latch and concurrently actuate the brake means temporarily in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its rotating support.

3. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support therefor, means to rotate and oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting, and a measuring chain; of a clutch latch to normally look the knitting cylinder and its support for rotation together, and means controlled by the measuring chain aforesaid to actuate the clutch latch in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its driving support so that different groups of needles may be acted upon at different times by the fashioning instrumentalities during oscillatory knitting.

4. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support for the cylinder, means to 7 groups of needles may be acted upon at different times by the fashioning instrumentalities.

5. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentali ties to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting and a measuring chain; of clutch means to normally look the needle cylinder and its support for movement together comprising a spring pressed latch pivoted on the one and adapted to individually engage circumferential notches in the other, and means controlled by the measuring chain to withdraw the latch from one of the notches aforesaid for subsequent engagement with another in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its driving support so that different groups of needles are acted upon at different times by the fashioning instrumentalities.

6. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscilla tory knitting and a measuring chain; of latch means to normally lock the needle cylinder and its support for movement together comprising a spring pressed latch on the one adapted to engage circumferential notches in the other, and a cam projectable into the path of the latch under control of the measuring chain to withdraw said latch from one of the notches aforesaid for subsequent engagement with another in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its driving support so that different groups of the needles may be acted upon at different times by the fashioning instrumentalities.

7 The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting and a measuring chain; of clutch means to normally lock the needle cylinder and its support for movement together comprising a spring pressed latch on the one adapted to engage circumferential notches in the other, a cam projectable into the path of the latch to withdraw itfrom one of the notches aforesaid for subsequent engagement with another in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its driving support so that different groups of needles may be acted upon at different times by the fashioning instrumentalities, and automatic means subject to the measuring chain to control actuation of the cam aforesaid.

8. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a coaxial driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting and a measuring chain; of clutch means to normally look the needle cylinder and its support for movement together, means for actuating the clutch means controlled by the measuring chain to release the cylinder, and concurrently operative means also controlled by the measuring chain to arrest motion of the cylinder temporarily in effecting angular positional changes thereof relative to its driving support so that different groups of needles may be acted upon by the fashioning instrumentalities during oscillatory knitting.

9. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting and a measuring chain: of clutch means to normally look the needle cylinder and its support for movement together, means controlled by the measuring chain for actuating the clutch means to release the cylinder, and concurrently acting brake band means also controlled by the measuring chain for arresting motion of the cyinlder temporarily in effecting angular positional changes thereof relative to its driving support so that different groups of the needles may be acted upon at different times by the fashioning in strumentalities.

10. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a co-axial driving support for the cylinder, means to oscillate the support, and fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting; of a clutch latch to normally lock the needle cylinder and its support for rotation together, a cam projectable into the path of the clutch latch to withdraw it temporarily in effecting angular positional changes between the needle cylinder and its support, a contractible brake band to concurrently arrest motion of the needle cylinder, a thrust bar operatively coordinated b with the cam and the brake band, a constantly vibrating tappet, and automatic control means to move the thrust bar into the province of the tappet for projection of the cam to' withdraw the latch and at the same time contracclt the brake band for the purpose aforesal 11. The combination in a knitting machine embodying a cylinder with needles, a driving support for the cylinder, means to oscil- 15 late the support, fashioning instrumentalities to actuate the needles during oscillatory knitting, and a measuring chain; of a clutch latch to normally look the needle cylinder and the support for movement together, brake means 20 associated with the needle cylinder, and means controlled by the measuring chain aforesaid towithdraw the clutch latch and concurrentlyactuate the brake means in effecting angular positional changes between 25 the needle cylinder and its rotating support so that difierent groups of the needles may be acted upon at difierent times by the fashion- I ing instrumentalities.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto o signed my name at Lansdale, Pennsylvania,

this 15th day of August, 1927.

HARVEY D. SAMPEY. 

